Hasad- Evil Eye and Envy

by Yahya Adel Ibrahîm

On the authority of Abu Huraira (ra) who said: The Messenger of Allah (saw) said

“Do not be envious of one another; do not artificially raise prices against one another; do not hate one another; do not turn one’s back on each other; and do not undercut one another in business transactions. And be, [O] servants of Allah, brethren. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He does not wrong him. He does not fail him [when he needs him]. He does not lie to him. And he does not show contempt for him. Piety is here”

- and he pointed to his chest three times.

“It is enough of evil for a person to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. All of a Muslim is inviolable to another Muslim: his blood, his wealth and his honor.”

Recorded by Muslim.

...If the Muslims were to apply the sublime teachings of this hadith, there would be a great change and improvement in their interrelationships and love for one another.

This disease of the heart and the sin which is known as hasad was one of the first sins ever committed. It was one of the main things that drove Satan away from his Lord. In fact, two aspects drove Satan to the horrendous situation that he is in today: pride and envy... In addition, the people with whom Allah is displeased and those who have gone astray, the Jews and the Christians, are people of hasad. Hence, any time a Muslim has this characteristic, he is taking on one of the characteristics of the people whom Allah despises...[See al-Baqara 109].

According to ibn Taimiya, hasad is always accompanied by hatred. This is one of the evils of hasad. First the person is envious of the other person. After some time, this envy develops into hatred. [Ibn Taimiya, Majmu vol. 10, p. 127. Also see al-Duhami, Al-Hath ala Salamah al-Sadr (Riyadh: Dar al-Watn, 1416 A.H.), pp. 38-39.]

Hasad is a kind of opposition or discontent with what Allah has decreed...he is putting his religion into a dangerous and precarious position. He is practically declaring himself a better decision maker than Allah. [Ibn Uthaymin, Sharh Riyadh, vol. 4, p. 704.]

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said,

“Iman and hasad do not gather together in the heart of a slave [of Allah].”

[Recorded by al-Nasai. According to al-Albani, it is sahih. See al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami, vol. 2, p. 1262.]

According to ibn Uthaymin, one of the strong signs that a person is inflicted with the disease of hasad is that he always tries to conceal the virtues and goodness of others. He does not like it when others talk about the good that a person has done. He remains silent and pretends like he does not know of the good that the other one has done. A true believer who is free of hasad likes it when good things are said about others and when the good deeds of others are appreciated and spoken about...He has no envy in his heart for what Allah has bestowed upon the others and, therefore, he spreads that good news to others. [Ibn Uthaymin, Sharh Riyadh, vol. 4, p. 707.] This sign that ibn Uthaymin has explicitly mentioned should be considered a type of subtle sign that people may not notice in themselves. They must take note of this sign and repel it as quickly as possible as it is a stepping stone to the greater forms of hasad.

With respect to that feeling of hasad, people can be divided into the following categories:

There are some people who actively work to remove that bounty from the other person, without necessarily destroying the bounty itself. By their speech and their actions they will wrongly do whatever they can to bring an end to the other person’s blessing from Allah.

There are others who do not just seek to remove that bounty from the other person, but they also work to get the bounty for themselves.

The worst are those who simply wish to destroy the bounty, regardless of whether they themselves get it or if it is simply destroyed. They only want to destroy that blessing because it was not given to them in the first place.

There are those who cannot remove the feeling of envy from their souls.They cannot control it but they do not like it and wish they could remove it. Those people, Allah willing, are not sinful for their state that they cannot control. According to ibn al-Qayyim, the evil of hasad comes about when the person acts upon his hasad, even if just in his heart. This is why Allah guides the Muslims not to simply seek refuge of the envious one, but to seek refuge of the envious one when he is being envious. Allah says, “From the evil of the envious one when he envies” (al-Falaq 5). [Quoted in al-Salihi, vol. 6, p. 529.]

There are also those who, although they do not act upon their hasad, willingly have thoughts of envy, are pleased with them and continue to think in such a manner while putting up no resistance to such evil thoughts as removing blessings from one’s brother. This person is like a person who is dead set upon committing a sin. There is a difference of opinion among the scholars concerning whether this kind of person is a sinner or not. Al-Haitami says that such a person is definitely a sinner. [Al-Haitami, Fath, p. 249.] Ibn Rajab, furthermore, points out that such a person is rarely safe from doing some wrong act against his brother out of spite and envy. Therefore, in the end, he may definitely become sinful in action, without question. [Ibn Rajab, Jami, vol. 2, p. 262.]

Another group of people recognize the hasad that exists within them. They do their best to remove that hasad from themselves and to treat the one they are envious of in the best possible fashion. They pray for the person; they tell others of his goodness and of the bounties that Allah has bestowed upon him. They remove that hasad to the extent that they love their Muslim brother and they love that Allah has blessed him and bestowed him and bestowed His bounties upon him. This category of people are among the people of the highest level of faith, they love for their brothers what they love for themselves. [Ibn Rajab, Jami, vol. 2, p. 263.]

Hadith on Hasad from al-Bukhari

Volume 4, Book 55, Number 590:

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:

The Prophet used to seek Refuge with Allah for Al-Hasan and Al-Husain and say: "Your forefather (i.e. Abraham) used to seek Refuge with Allah for Ishmael and Isaac by reciting the following: 'O Allah! I seek Refuge with Your Perfect Words from every devil and from poisonous pests and from every evil, harmful, envious eye.' "

Narrated 'Aisha:

The Prophet ordered me or somebody else to do Ruqya (if there was danger) from an evil eye.

Volume 7, Book 71, Number 635:

Narrated Um Salama:

That the Prophet saw in her house a girl whose face had a black spot. He said. "She is under the effect of an evil eye; so treat her with a Ruqya."

Volume 7, Book 71, Number 636:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, "The effect of an evil eye is a fact." And he prohibited tattooing

Volume 7, Book 72, Number 784:

Narrated Israil:

Uthman bin 'Abdullah bin Mauhab said, "My people sent me with a bowl of water to Um Salama." Isra'il approximated three fingers ('indicating the small size of the container in which there was some hair of the Prophet. 'Uthman added, "If any person suffered from evil eye or some other disease, he would send a vessel (containing water) to Um Salama. I looked into the container (that held the hair of the Prophet) and saw a few red hairs in it,"

Book 001, Number 0425:

Husain b. 'Abd al-Rahman reported:

I was with Sa'id b. Jubair when he said:

Who amongst you saw a star shooting last night? I said: It was I; then I said: I was in fact not (busy) in prayer, but was stung by a scorpion (and that is the reason why I was awake and had a glimpse of the shooting star). He said: Then what did you do? I said: I practised charm. He said: What urged you to do this? I said: (I did this according to the implied suggestion) of the hadith which al-Shu'ba narrated. He said: What did al-Shu'ba narrate to you? I said:

Buraida b. Husaib al-Aslami narrated to us. The charm is of no avail except in case of the (evil influence) of an eye or the sting of a scorpion.

He said: He who acted according to what he had heard (from the Holy Prophet) acted rightly, but Ibn 'Abbas narrated to us from the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) that he said: There were brought before me the peoples and I saw an apostle and a small group (of his followers) along with him, another (apostle) and one or two persons (along with him) and (still another) apostle having no one with him. When a very large group was brought to me I conceived as if it were my Ummah. Then it was said to me: It is Moses and his people. You should look at the horizon, and I saw a very huge group. It was again said to me: See the other side of the horizon, and there was (also) a very huge group. It was said to me: This is your Ummah, and amongst them there were seventy thousand persons who would be made to enter Paradise without rendering any account and without (suffering) any torment. He then stood up and went to his house. Then the people began to talk about the people who would be admitted to Paradise without rendering any account and without (suffering) any torment. Some of them said: They may be those who (have had the good fortune of living) in the company of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and some of them said: They be those who were born in Islam and did not associate anything with Allah. Some people mentioned other things. Thereupon came forth the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) before them and he said: What was that which you were talking about? They informed him. He said: They are those persons who neither practise charm, nor ask others to practise it, nor do they take omens, and repose their trust in their Lord. Upon this 'Ukkasha b. Mihsan stood up and said: Supplicate for me that He should make me one among them. Upon this he (Messenger of Allah) said: Thou are one among them. Then another man stood up and said: Supplicate before Allah that He should make me one among them. Upon this he said: 'Ukkasha has preceded you.

Book 024, Number 5280:

Abu Bashir Ansari reported that he had had (the opportunity of accompanying Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) in some of his journeys. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) sent one of his messengers 'Abdullah b Abi Bakr said:

I think he said (these words) when the people were at the places of rest: No necklace of strings be left on the necks of the camels or the necklace kept unbroken. Imam Malik said: To my mind (this practice) of wearing necklace round the necks of camels or animals was because of the fact that they (wanted to save them) from the influence of the evil eye.

Book 026, Number 5424:

'A'isha (the wife of Allah's Apostle) said:

When Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) fell ill. Gabriel used to recite these verses." In the name of Allah. He may cure you from all kinds of illness and safeguard you from the evil of a jealous one when he feels jealous and from the evil influence of eye."

Book 026, Number 5425:

Abu Sa'id reported that Gabriel came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said:

Muhammad, have you fallen ill? Thereupon he said: Yes. He (Gabriel) said:" In the name of Allah I exercise you from everything and safeguard you from every evil that may harm you and from the eye of a jealous one. Allah would cure you and I invoke the name of Allah for you."

Book 026, Number 5426:

Abu Huraira reported so many ahadith from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and he reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:

The influence of an evil eye is a fact.

Book 026, Number 5427:

Ibn 'Abbas reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The influence of an evil eye is a fact; if anything would precede the destiny it would be the influence of an evil eye, and when you are asked to take bath (as a cure) from the influence of an evil eye, you should take bath.

Book 026, Number 5445:

'A'isha reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) commanded the use of incantation for curing the influence of an evil eye.

Book 026, Number 5446:

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Mis'ar with the same chain of transmitters.

Book 026, Number 5447:

'A'isha reported:

Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) commanded me that I should make use of incantation for curing the influence of an evil eye.

Book 026, Number 5448:

Anas b. Malik reported in connection with incantation that he had been granted sanction (to use incantation as a remedy) for the sting of the scorpion and for curing small pustules and dispelling the influence of an evil eye.

Book 026, Number 5449:

Anas reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) granted him sanction to use incantation (as a cure) for the, influence of an evil eye, the sting of the scorpion and small pustules.

Book 026, Number 5450:

Umm Salama, the wife of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to a small girl in the house of Umm Salama that he had been seeing on her face black stains and told her that that was due to the infiluence of an evil eye, and he asked that she should be cured with the help of incantation (hoping) that her face should become spotles.

Book 026, Number 5451:

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) granted sanction to the family of Hazm for incantation (in mitigating the effect of the poison of) the snake, and, he said -to Asma' daughter of 'Umais:

What is this that I see the children of my brother lean? Are they not fed properly? She said: No, but they fall under the influence of an evil eve. He said: Use incantation She recited (the words of incantation before him), whereupon he (by approving them) said: Yes, use this incantation for them.

We travelled with him from Kum Sharik to Alqamah or from Alqamah to Kum Sharik (the narrator doubts) for Alqam.

Ruwayfi' said: Any one of us would borrow a camel during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him) from the other, on condition that he would give him half the booty, and the other half he would retain himself.

Further, one of us received an arrowhead and a feather, and the other an arrow-shaft as a share from the booty.

He then reported: The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) said: You may live for a long time after I am gone, Ruwayfi', so, tell people that if anyone ties his beard or wears round his neck a string to ward off the evil eye, or cleanses himself with animal dung or bone, Muhammad has nothing to do with him.

Book 28, Number 3875:

Narrated Imran ibn Husayn:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: No spell is to be used except for the evil eye or a scorpion sting.

Book 28, Number 3879: Narrated Sahl ibn Hunayf:

I passed by a river. I entered it and took a bath in it. When I came out, I had fever. The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) was informed about it. He said:

Ask Abu Thabit to seek refuge in Allah from that I asked: O my Lord, will the spell be useful? He replied: No, the spell is to be used except for the evil eye or a snake bite or a scorpion sting.

Book 50, Number 50.1.1:

Yahya related to me from Malik that Muhammad ibn Abi Umama ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf heard his father say, "My father, Sahl ibn Hunayf did a ghusl at al-Kharrar. He removed the jubbah he had on while Amir ibn Rabia was watching, and Sahl was a man with beautiful white skin. Amir said to him, 'I have never seen anything like what I have seen today, not even the skin of a virgin.' Sahl fell ill on the spot, and his condition grew worse. Somebody went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and told him that Sahl was ill, and could not go with him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to him, and Sahl told him what had happened with Amir. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Why does one of you kill his brother? Why did you not say, "May Allah bless you?" (ta baraka-llah) The evil eye is true. Do wudu from it.' Amir did wudu from it and Sahl went with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and there was nothing wrong with him."

Book 50, Number 50.1.2:

Malik related to me from Ibn Shihab that Abu Umama ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf said, ''Amir ibn Rabia saw Sahl ibn Hunayf doing a ghusl and said, 'I have not seen the like of what I see today, not even the skin of a maiden who has never been out of doors.' Sahl fell to the ground. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was approached and it was said, 'Messenger of Allah, can you do anything about Sahl ibn Hunayf? By Allah, he can not raise his head.' He said, 'Do you suspect anyone of it?' They said, 'We suspect Amir ibn Rabia.' "

He continued, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, summoned Amir and was furious with him and said, 'Why does one of you kill his brother? Why did you not say, "May Allah bless you?" Do ghusl for it.' Amir washed his face, hands, elbows, knees, the end of his feet, and inside his lower garment in a vessel. Then he poured it over him, and Sahl went off with the people, and there was nothing wrong with him."

Book 50, Number 50.2.3:

Yahya related to me from Malik that Humayd ibn Qays al-Makki said,

"A man came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the two sons of Jafar ibn Abi Talib. He said to their nursemaid, 'Why do I see them so thin?' Their nursemaid said, 'Messenger of Allah, the evil eye goes quickly to them. Nothing stops us from asking someone to make incantations (using ayats of Qur'an) for them, except that we do not know what of that would agree with you.' The Messenger of ,Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Make incantations for them. Had anything been able to precede the decree, the evil eye would precede it.' "

Book 50, Number 50.2.4:

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Sulayman ibn Yasar that Urwa ibn az-Zubayr told him that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered the house of Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. There was a child weeping in the house, and they told him that it was from the evil eye. Urwa said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Why do you not find someone to make an incantation to protect it from the evil eye?' "